Police ID victim in fatal Newark shooting

Courtesy of family of BlondelRashown Blondel, 18NEWARK -- Authorities
identified the Newark man who was fatally shot Friday night in the city's West
Ward due to an apparent drug turf dispute.

Rashown
Blondel, 18, was found gunned down near the intersection of Salem
Street and South Orange Avenue around 8:40 p.m., said Paul Loriquet, spokesman
for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. Responding to reports of a man shot, police found Blondel with a gunshot wound to the
torso.

He was pronounced dead a short time later. The shooting
is the city's 49th homicide this year.

Loriquet said Blondel was allegedly a Bloods gang member and was shot
over drug territory, but would not reveal further details on the active
investigation.

Another shooting occurred 20 minutes prior to the
Salem Street slaying on Mount Prospect Street, where police discovered an
unidentified male suffering from several gunshot wounds to the leg. Suspects
reportedly fled the scene in a white sport utility vehicle, Detective Todd McClendon of the Newark Police said.

The victim was taken to University Hospital in stable
condition.

Anyone with information is asked to call the county prosecutor's tip line at (877) TIPS-4-EC, (877) 847-7432, or the Newark Police Departments' Crime Stopper tip line at (877) NWK-TIPS, (877) 695-8477.